Garden Hand Tools: for Soil Work, Pruning, Watering and Snow Clearing

For digging and moving soil, choose a shovel, fork or pickaxe; for surface work, a rake and hoe; and for trees and shrubs, pruning shears, loppers and a pruning saw. One universal tool cannot replace specialised ones, so build a small basic set.

The working part is made of ordinary, hardened or boron steel, aluminium or plastic. Hardened steel stays sharp longer and does not bend in stony soil, while plastic and aluminium are light for snow and light work. Read hand tool materials, hardness, coatings and ergonomics.

Handles are made of wood, fibreglass or metal. Fibreglass is strong, does not rot and is light, while wood is cheaper and easy to replace. Choose the handle length to suit your height so you do not have to bend too much while working.

For live branches, choose a bypass cutting mechanism; for dry wood, an anvil type. The manufacturer states the maximum cutting diameter, and it should not be exceeded. For cordless versions, see how to choose cordless pruning shears.

Choose a garden hose by diameter, length and number of layers, and a sprayer by tank volume and pressure type. A manual sprayer suits a small garden, while cordless and petrol models are faster for large areas.

Wear gloves and sturdy footwear, and keep the tool away from your body when pruning and mowing. After work, clean off the soil, dry the metal and hang tools up so the handles do not rot. Read how to use hand tools safely and how to maintain, store and organize hand tools.